About Zimbabwe
Chako Ndechako Housing Cooperative – Chitungwiza
History and Current State of Cooperative Housing in Zimbabwe
Post-Independence Housing Landscape
When Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980, it inherited a racially segregated and deeply unequal housing system. Black citizens were largely barred from homeownership, and the land was distributed along racial lines in both quality and area. The new government prioritized dismantling discriminatory laws and promoting equitable access to housing. Reforms included repealing laws that had excluded black Zimbabweans from owning property in urban areas.
Early Policy and the Emergence of Cooperatives
The 1983 Transitional National Development Plan recognized housing as a basic need and promoted self-help schemes to address urban housing shortages. Housing cooperatives were included in this strategy but received limited state support. As a result, early cooperative efforts were fragmented and under-resourced.
Types of Cooperatives and Initial Examples
By the late 1980s, two types of housing cooperatives had emerged:
Early examples include Cotton Printers Housing Cooperative (1984) in Bulawayo and Kugarika Kushinga (1986), a community-based co-op that now counts over 2,000 members. Both struggled with land access and administrative hurdles.
Funding, Employer Support, and International Partnerships
Cooperatives were primarily financed through member contributions, often too small to fund housing construction. Employer-backed cooperatives had better outcomes, leveraging payroll deductions and access to credit. The 1987 National Workshop on Construction and Housing Cooperatives paved the way for the formation of Housing People of Zimbabwe (HPZ) in 1992, supported by Rooftops Canada and the Swedish Cooperative Centre (now We Effect). HPZ provided technical assistance and training for nearly two decades before economic collapse and donor withdrawal forced its closure in 2010.
Creation of ZINAHCO and National Coordination
HPZ and partners supported the establishment of the Zimbabwe National Association of Housing Cooperatives (ZINAHCO) in 1993, formally registered in 2001. As the national apex body, ZINAHCO facilitates registration, capacity-building, land acquisition, and material procurement for member co-ops.
State Support and Policy Tools
Key state initiatives included:
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Land Acquisition Act (1992): Enabled the acquisition of agricultural land for urban expansion
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National Housing Fund: Offered loans to support low-income homebuilding through the Save for Your Home Scheme
Despite these tools, actual delivery was hampered by inconsistent funding, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and corruption.
International Funding and Its Limits
Foreign aid in the 1980s and early 1990s funded cooperative housing through state institutions. USAID’s Housing Guarantee program allowed early co-ops to access credit through building societies. But reliance on donor funds proved unsustainable, especially when aid flows dried up.
Impact of Economic Crisis (1998–2008)
Hyperinflation, unemployment, and currency collapse gutted savings and stalled construction. Cooperative members defaulted on contributions, and support structures like HPZ’s revolving fund collapsed. Still, Harare City Council acknowledged that housing cooperatives remained among the few functional low-income housing delivery systems during this period.
Context: Urban Shortages and Informal Growth
Persistent Housing Deficit
Zimbabwe has a housing deficit of approximately 2 million units. Around 20 percent of the population lives in overcrowded or inadequate housing. Post-independence migration and ongoing urbanization have outpaced the state’s capacity to provide affordable shelter.
Growth of Informal Settlements and Evictions
Urban poverty remains high, with unemployment peaking at 80 percent in 2005. In the absence of alternatives, informal housing spread rapidly. The 2005 Operation Murambatsvina—a mass eviction and demolition campaign—displaced 700,000 people and deepened the crisis.
Current Challenges for Cooperatives
Three primary obstacles confront housing cooperatives today:
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Scarcity of affordable, well-located land
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Inadequate access to affordable finance for low-income earners
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Rising costs of building materials
Additionally, the long-term impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic (with prevalence around 14.3 percent) has placed both social and economic burdens on cooperative members and their support systems.
Mushawedu Housing Cooperative, (cooperative composed of people living with disabilities) – Chitungwiza
National Housing Policy (2012) and Cooperative Role
The 2012 National Housing Policy outlines a pro-poor, participatory approach, recognizing the role of community-based organizations, including cooperatives. Section 5:5 focuses on:
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Land allocation and security of tenure
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Subsidies for the poor
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Protection from evictions
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Access to credit
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Simplified regulatory processes
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Budget support for cooperative initiatives
ZINAHCO worked with local authorities to develop operational guidelines that aim to prevent political interference, clarify roles, and create transparent frameworks for land use and dispute resolution through Memoranda of Agreement (MOA).
Shifting from Ownership to Rental
Due to high mortgage interest rates and limited access to formal finance, homeownership has declined, especially in cities. According to Zimbabwe’s national statistics agency:
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58.5 percent of households are owner-occupied (mostly rural)
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Only 32.8 percent are owner-occupied in urban areas
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Lodgers now outnumber homeowners in the country’s two largest cities
The Cooperative Housing Model Today
Structure and Approach
ZINAHCO-affiliated cooperatives typically include 10 to 400 members and operate in urban or peri-urban settings. Characteristics include:
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Incremental construction (land first, followed by basic shelter, then rooms)
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Rent-based occupancy until all homes are built
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Final ownership transfer only after loan repayment and construction completion
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Use of member labor and hired contractors depending on skill availability
Once construction is complete, co-ops may dissolve or shift toward income-generating activities, as seen in Kugarika Kushinga, which now also operates a transport business.
Training and Compliance
The Registrar of Cooperatives provides mandatory training before registration. ZINAHCO continues education on cooperative management, construction practices, and finance throughout the project life cycle.
Financing Mechanisms
Member Contributions and Enterprise Models
Monthly payments are agreed upon democratically. Members may receive refunds if they resign. Co-ops often supplement housing funds with income from small enterprises or services.
CLIFF Program and Group Lending
Through its partnership with the Community-Led Infrastructure Finance Facility (CLIFF) and Homeless International (UK), ZINAHCO secured group loans for cooperatives, rather than individuals. Key features include:
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All members share liability for loan repayment
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Housed members pay higher rents to subsidize the rest
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All funds are reinvested in completing the project
ZINAHCO also provides training in financial management and construction oversight to reduce risk.
Legal and Institutional Framework
The main legal instruments guiding cooperative housing include:
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Cooperative Societies Act (Chapter 24:05): Governs formation and operations
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Cooperative by-laws: Set internal governance and obligations
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Revised Cooperative Development Policy (2005): Defines national priorities
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Land Developers Bill: Aimed at improving land management (not yet implemented)
Batonga Housing Cooperative – Kariba
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